User Guide

Infrared Heater Selection Procedure – Additional Selection Considerations
9-200.6 11
Table11.1 – Typical Infrared Heater Selection Considerations
Application High Intensity Low Intensity
Spot Heating Excellent choice. Good choice when U-tube systems are used.
Partial Building Heating Good choice. Excellent choice when U-tube systems are used.
Total Building Heating Fair choice for high mounting heights or if
obstructions exist that would interfere with low
intensity tube heater installations.
Fair choice when used with straight tube
systems.
Inexpensive Installation Excellent choice. All gas, power, and control
connections are made in the same vicinity. Units
with millivolt controls do not use external electric
power, further minimizing installation costs.
Units are unvented eliminating building roof or
sidewall vent pipe penetrations.
Good choice. All gas, power, and control
connections are made in the same vicinity of
each other. Common venting reduces
installation costs from reduced roof or sidewall
penetrations.
Venting Options None. Units operate unvented. Units can be common vented in pairs to enable
the use of one vent pipe, which minimizes
installation costs, as there is only one roof or
sidewall penetration. See “Common Venting of
Low-Intensity Infrared Heaters” for requirements.
Inexpensive Maintenance Excellent choice. Units have low maintenance
costs since there are no moving parts to service
Good choice. There is no blower to maintain.
Power exhauster requires minimal maintenance.
Low Mounting Heights Good choice with low Btu/hr input ratings. Excellent choice with most Btu/hr input ratings.
Low Clearances to
Combustible Materials
Fair choice. Excellent choice. Low intensity units generally
require lower clearances.
Dirty Environments Fair choice. Foreign particles and dirt could be
introduced to the heater, requiring more frequent
maintenance. NOTE: Units must NOT be
installed where they may be exposed to a
potentially explosive or flammable atmosphere!
Good choice when outside combustion air is
ducted to the unit. While not considered
separated combustion, this arrangement will
minimize foreign particles entering the unit and
combustion process. NOTE: Units must NOT be
installed where they may be exposed to a
potentially explosive or flammable atmosphere!
Environments with
Corrosive Chemicals
Present
Poor choice. The controls are located externally
and therefore are not protected from corrosion
damage. The aluminized steel frame and
reflector offers minimal protection from corrosive
elements.
Poor to Fair choice. Units designed for outdoor
installations will aid in protecting the controls
from the corrosive elements. Outside
combustion air should be used to avoid
significant corrosive elements from entering the
unit and the combustion process. However,
ambient side corrosion may significantly reduce
the life of the unit, which is not warranted.
Buildings with Poor
Insulation
Fair choice. Unvented units in applications with
poor insulation may experience excessive
condensation on the inside of the building
structure. Proper ventilation is required.
Excellent choice for units that are vented.
Buildings with Negative
Pressure
Excellent choice. Units operate unvented and
are unaffected by pressure differentials between
the heated space and the pressure outside the
space.
Excellent choice. Units operate with a power
exhauster and are able to overcome typical
negative pressure conditions. Utilizing outside
combustion air also aids in these applications.
Outdoor Locations Not available. Units are certified for indoor
commercial and industrial applications only.
Excellent choice. Modine offers units suitable for
outdoor applications.
High Humidity Locations
(e.g. car washes)
Poor choice. High-intensity units operate
unvented. Water vapor is a by-product of the
combustion process which would add to the high
humidity already present in these locations.
Excellent choice. The units are vented outside
to avoid adding humidity to the space. Dry
outside air can be ducted to the unit for
combustion. A unit suitable for outdoor
applications may be recommended.
Dirt-Floors (e.g. stables,
arenas, etc.)
Fair to Poor choice. The ground acts as a huge heat-sink, conducting heat away from the surface.
The ground will absorb the infrared but will not radiate the energy back.
Environments with
Chlorinated, Halogenated,
or Acid Vapors Present
Poor choice. Gas fired units should never be used in areas where chlorinated, halogenated, or acid
vapors exist.
Hazardous Areas with
Potentially Explosive or
Flammable Materials
D
A
NGER! – Units must NOT be installed where they may be exposed to a potentially explosive or
flammable atmosphere!